Amadeus Gulf, a leading provider of technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, has announced the appointment of Louis Arnaud as Country Manager for Oman, ushering in a new strategic focus on regional diversification and future growth within the Sultanate.
Arnaud comes to Amadeus Gulf’s Oman office with more than 15 years of global sales and leadership experiences in the Middle East and Europe. Having supervised the delivery of landmark sales and commercial projects within the travel industry, Arnaud will now support travel and tourism companies across Oman—including airlines, hotels, travel agencies, and more—in their efforts to better connect, serve, and manage their offerings to local travellers.
Amadeus is currently the largest distributor of leisure packages worldwide and offers travel agents the largest community of carriers and markets with electronic ticketing around the world.
Graham Nichols, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf, said: “We view Oman as a promising market for regional and international travel as part of the Gulf’s wider tourism offering. With a strong background in the travel technology arena, Arnaud is the ideal choice to lead Amadeus Gulf’s business in the Sultanate. His track record and expertise will help us to both deepen and broaden our relationships with the Omani travel industry.”
According to recent estimates from the third edition of the Middle East Online Travel Overview study—a special project conducted by Phocuswright and co-sponsored by Amadeus—total gross bookings in the Middle East for air, hotel, car and tour services tallied US$74 billion in 2016 alone, with an estimated annual growth rate of 8% between now and 2020.
Of this total, online travel bookings comprised a 29% share, which is forecast to reach over 40% by the year 2021 as consumers’ preferences shift towards digital retail.
